Your Personal Brand Part One

If you think branding is just for products, services and celebrities, think again. Each one of us has what is called a “personal brand”, and, like all brands, can either help or hurt our careers.

A personal brand is basically a combination of the following:

Your reputation as you are known in both your career and personal lives

The level of authority which you bring to the table

Your “game” and how you either make things happen or…don’t

And, your “word-of-mouth” score, meaning if people know of you and can recommend you without hesitation

Your personal brand begins as early as college. Were you the student, which everyone wanted to have on his or her semester project? Did people seek you out to ask your opinion on issues and challenges? Or were you just the kid that everyone wanted at his or her party because you were fun?

As you progress in your career, your personal brand evolves with you. How you approach assignments, colleagues, further education and authority will determine your growth and advancement.

If you’re not sure how solid your personal brand is, do a self-assessment. Ten questions to consider are:

Do you show enthusiasm and good energy each and every day?

Do you help others whether or not they ask for your help?

Do you meet your deadlines?

Does your manager turn to you for important projects?

Do you get phone calls from recruiters who tell you they heard about you for a job?

Do you get regular promotions and raises?

Are you constantly looking for ways to improve your work and the work of the company?

Do you strive to be the most authoritative resource on your area of expertise?

Do others look at you as the “go-to” person in your office?

What do you think others would say about you when asked a reference?

In part two, we will discuss how you can improve your personal brand to help you gain more visibility and advance your career!

Meanwhile, why don’t you check out our exciting opportunities in the Bay Area by visiting our job list here.